


Dog Days are Over

by nickelkeep



Series: Nickel's Story Time Series Vol. 2 [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Shifter Dean Winchester, Car Accidents, Dog hit by a Car, Harm to Animals, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Dean Winchester, M/M, Making Out, Minor Amy Pond/Sam Winchester, POV Alternating, POV Animal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26113495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nickelkeep/pseuds/nickelkeep
Summary: It was cold. Dean shivered and reached for a blanket before snapping awake. He wasn't in his bed. He wasn't at home. For fuck's sake, Dean was still shifted. He whimpered, hating how pathetic he sounded, and tried to push himself up onto all fours. As Dean tried to put weight on his front left leg, he yelped out in pain and fell back onto the cage’s cold metal floor.He was either at the shelter or at the Vet. And he was so screwed.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Nickel's Story Time Series Vol. 2 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885798
Comments: 33
Kudos: 239
Collections: The AO3 SPN Kink Meme





	Dog Days are Over

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [theao3spnkinkmeme](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/theao3spnkinkmeme) collection. 



> Mods, Please remove my anonymity!
> 
> Hiya! It's already been a week since last storytime? Y'all are gonna sick of this, aren't you?
> 
> This week's prompt actually comes from the [Ao3 SPN Kink Collection.](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/theao3spnkinkmeme)The prompt can be found [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/theao3spnkinkmeme/prompts/1694770)  
> ...  
> I am extremely open to prompts for this round of storytimes. If you're on PB, you know how to hit me up. If you're not on PB, you can come join us, OR my Tumblr and Twitter are always open! (See below 👇)  
> ...  
> You can find me on [Tumblr](https://nickelkeep.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/nickelwrites).

“ _Why men great ‘til they gotta be great? Woo! I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that bitch–_ " Cas glared at his phone as his song was interrupted. He was on his way to work. What the hell did Zachariah need? He looked at the steering wheel and pressed the answer call button, desperately trying to suppress a growl. "What can't wait 10 minutes until I get in, Zachariah?"

"Good morning to you too, Castiel. I just wanted to let you know that your morning appointment is here. Early. And they're irritated that you're not here." Zachariah sounded smug, and Cas freely rolled his eyes. "If you're going to be here in ten, should I tell them fifteen?"

Cas pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "You can tell them that they can wait. If they showed up..." He looked at the clock. "two fucking hours early, they can wait two fucking hours. What's the point of–"A sick thud and a high pitched yelp caused Cas to slam on his breaks. He looked in his rearview mirror and saw a dog sitting motionless on the ground. "Hold that thought, Zachariah."

The squawks of his coworker could be heard even after Cas had put the car in park and hopped out. He jogged back to the dog - a tan-colored German Shepherd - and immediately checked to see if it was breathing. After confirming he hadn't killed the poor pup, Cas scooped it up, carried it in his arms, and slid him into his backseat. Zachariah was still yelling and cursing when Cas climbed back into the front seat.

"Zach, shut up. Take them as your client. I know you want them. I just hit a dog, and I'm running it to the Emergency Vet." Cas disconnected the call and quickly searched for the location of the closest Veterinarian. He set his GPS to go, and Cas could only hope that he got the dog to the Vet in time.

…

"It's a good thing you got him here when you did, Mr. Novak." The veterinarian, Dr. Pond, commented as she pointed at the x-ray. "It's a nice, clean break, so it'll heal up nicely. If you hadn't gotten him here though, it would have healed askew, and down the road, he may have had to either have it rebroken or lose the limb."

Cas let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Doctor." He pulled the dog's collar out of his pocket and handed it to her. "I've been trying to call his owner, but it keeps going to voicemail."

"Did you leave a message?" Dr. Pond looked at the tag, and Cas could have sworn she was fighting back either a smirk or an eye roll. Maybe even both. "You know what, we'll keep on trying to call him."

"Really?" Cas looked at the x-ray again before looking at the dog. "It's no bother for me."

Dr. Pond shook her head. "That's what I have assistants for. Besides, didn't you say you had been on your way to work when you hit him?"

"I did."

"Then let us handle contacting his owner, and you can focus on your work." She led Cas to the lobby and set him up at the counter. "Alex here will take your information. I'm going to go put the good doggo here in a holding cage. Let him sleep off the meds." She nodded and made her exit.

Cas waited until Dr. Pond had returned to the back before looking at the young person sitting unamused at the desk. He pulled out his wallet and dug out a credit card before handing it to her. "I want to pay for everything that happened." As - Alex, Cas recalled - started to run his card, Cas spoke up again. "Also, I'd like to swing back and see the dog after I get off work. Is that permitted?"

"I don't see why not. You're paying for his care. I'll leave a note for the second shift person." Alex handed the card back to Cas. "It'll be okay, Mr. Novak. The dog is in really good hands. Dr. Pond is excellent at what she does."

Cas took his card back and forced a smile. While it was reassuring, it sure didn't make him feel any better.

…

It was cold. Dean shivered and reached for a blanket before snapping awake. He wasn't in his bed. He wasn't at home. For fuck's sake, Dean was still shifted. He whimpered, hating how pathetic he sounded, and tried to push himself up onto all fours. As Dean tried to put weight on his front left leg, he yelped out in pain and fell back onto the cage’s cold metal floor.

He was either at the shelter or at the Vet. And he was so screwed.

"Hey there, Dean."

Dean perked up at the familiar voice, and a wave of relief rushed over him. He barked weakly, but happily when Amy appeared on the other side of the bars.

"You went and got yourself in a pickle this time, didn't you?"

Dean pressed his nose against the cage door, indicating that he wanted out.

"You did notice you're in a cast, right? You should really be resting."

At that information, Dean looked at his leg and promptly tried to bite the cast.

"Stop it." Amy pointed at him, and Dean flinched, not happy at her chastising him. "You need to keep it on for a little bit. The guy who hit you is coming back later to check on you and see if we found your owner, so we need to keep the charade up until after he leaves."

Dean glared at Amy and let out an annoyed bark.

"Then don't go running in front of cars, Dumbass." She reached up and opened the cage. "Do not try to jump out. Let me get you down." Dean huffed in response, and Amy bopped his nose playfully. "Who do you think put you up there?" She reached in and pulled him out, holding him close until she got him on the floor. Amy sat next to him and smiled before petting the scruff on the back of his neck. "I will say you could probably lay off the Bacon Cheeseburgers."

Dean snorted and shook his head.

"Yeah, I know that won't ever happen." She scratched behind his ear. "Don't worry, I already called Sam and let him know what happened. It took a lot of convincing to keep him at the office, but he wants to talk to you as soon as you've shifted back."

Dean rested his head on Amy's leg, nudging it.

"I swear, you're worse than Sam. Demanding pets and cuddles." She continued petting him haphazardly. "You know, the guy felt horrible for hitting you." Dean tensed for a moment but eased up when Amy scratched under his chin. "Apparently, he was on the phone while driving, Got an upsetting phone call, and didn't see you dash into the road." Amy stopped petting. "I wish you could tell me what you were doing running across the road, while shifted, so early this morning."

Dean tried to think of a way to tell Amy that he couldn't honestly remember, vaguely knowing that it was probably a courier run, but he knew it would be useless. He settled for another huff and tried to push himself up to his feet again.

"Honestly, Dean. You'll be able to shift back once I take that cast of you. You can take the time today to be lazy."

Dean shook his head and tried standing up again, this time favoring his left paw.

"Well, at least you're learning from your mistakes." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Wait. You're seriously not going to shift back and forth after I take the cast off, right? You need to heal in one form or the other. It will fuck with your anatomy if you try to shift with a break."

Dean turned his snout away from her and promptly started to hobble on his three uninjured paws. Amy was clearly ready to yell at him when the front door chimed.

"That's probably him. Behave. The sooner we get him out of here, the sooner we can get you shifting back to human." Amy pushed herself to her feet and exited out to the front.

Dean refocused on figuring out how to walk on three legs. He had finally started to get the swing of things when the door opened, and Amy returned with, quite possibly, the most gorgeous human he had ever seen.

"See? He's up and about." Amy gestured to Dean, and Dean made a point of hobbling up to the human. "He's very friendly too." Dean barked and wagged his tail to help Amy make her point.

"Indeed." The deep gravelly voice sent shivers down Dean's spine, and he was dying to shift right then and there, only reminding himself that he didn't want to scare the pretty human away. "Were you able to get a hold of his owner?"

"Nope. Colt's owner didn't answer." Dean snapped his head up and looked at Amy in confusion. It seemed as though the man was just as confused.

"Colt? I thought his name was Dean. That's what it says on the tag." The man pointed down at Dean, and Dean looked back up at Amy, waiting for an explanation.

"I didn't realize it until you handed me his collar, and after I scanned his microchip–" Dean huffed in amusement, earning a glare from Amy, "–that he's one our patients. Dean is his owner. He thought when he made the tag that he should put his name there, so you would know who you’re calling."

"I see." The man squatted down in front of Dean. "Hiya Colt, I'm Cas. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for hitting you this morning."

Dean nearly melted on the spot. Gorgeous, kind, respectful? Where could he sign up for this guy?

"Dr. Pond, would it be okay if I brought Colt home with me? I'll watch him while we try and get a hold of Dean."

It was Amy's turn to be at a loss for words. She sputtered, barely able to spout out some bullshit about not being sure if Dean would be okay with it.

"I promise, I'm not dognapping him. You guys have my information on file. I'll keep trying to contact him alongside your office. I feel bad as it is, knowing he's in this predicament. And I know that you'd take care of him, but you're busy with other animals. I work from home most days, and I can keep an eye on him. That's less stress on your employees."

If it weren't for the fact that Dean was desperate to shift back, he'd have argued that Cas had a valid point. And apparently, Amy agreed. "Uh, sure. Go upfront, Tell Jack that I said to give you a foster form, and I'll bring Colt here upfront in a few."

Dean had never wanted to bite someone so badly in his life.

Amy waited until the door shut behind Cas before slowly turning to face Dean. "I froze, okay!? Don't look at me like that." She cursed under her breath. "Look, you're not just a dog. You're a shifter. You can do things that a dog can't." Amy pulled out her ponytail, letting her hair fall to her shoulders before shaking it out. "Let me think."

Dean barked at her and nudged at her with his snout.

"Okay, so you escape his place, you come here, and I'll cut you out of the cast. There's just a couple extra steps involved." Amy placed her hand against her forehead. "I don't know if Sam's going freak out or laugh hysterically." She looked down at Dean before tying her hair back up. "Both. He's going to laugh while he freaks out."

Dean stepped on her foot and bumped his head against her leg. When she looked at him again, Dean sat and tried to give her the most sympathetic - read pathetic - look he could give her, and she let out a sigh in turn. "Don't do that, Dean. Don't." She pulled her foot out from under Dean and walked over to the leashes, grabbing one before calling Dean over. "I'm sorry."

…

The drive home from the Vet had been enjoyable. The last time the German Shepherd - named Colt, not Dean like he had thought - was in his car, he was unconscious in the back seat. Now the dog was sitting in the passenger seat, and if Cas didn't know any better, he would have thought that said dog was judging his car.

Now that they had pulled up in front of his home, Colt sat patiently in the seat and waited for Cas to come open the door. His owner had trained him well. Cas picked up the leash, noticing a small flinch from Colt, and started to lead him to the house.

"It's not much, Colt, but I do have a nice fenced in backyard. You may not be able to run right away, but you'll be able to explore a bit, since you're in a new place." Cas opened the front door and let Colt in. "I'll do my best to make sure you're comfortable."

After making a bowl of kibble for Colt, which the dog appeared to eat reluctantly, Cas called Colt over to the sofa, tapping on the cushion next to him. "Here? Do you need help up?" He leaned down and pulled Colt up onto the couch.

Colt wagged his tail gratefully and lay down next to Cas, resting his head on Cas’ leg.

"See, not that bad, huh? I'm sorry if you’re not allowed on the sofa at home, but I figured this is my fault, I can spoil you a bit." Cas started scratching behind Colt's ears. "You really are a good boy, aren't you?"

Colt huffed but nuzzled into Cas' hand all the same. 

"This might sound bad, especially because I'm truly sorry I hit you, but I'm kind of happy that I did." Cas paused as Colt looked up at him. "I swear, it's almost like you understand me." He shook his head and continued. "I mean it, though. I always wanted a dog, but I never thought I was good enough or had the time for one. Keeping you here with me, it's like a test run."

Cas turned his attention to the TV briefly, listening to the weather forecast for the next day, when he thought out loud. "I wonder what your owner is like. I hope he's good to you. You're such a good dog; I can't imagine him not treating you well." He chuckled. "Maybe that's why you turned up your nose at the food. I'll look up what you can eat that isn't kibble and see if I can give you something else." Cas' chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh as Colt pushed himself up with his right leg and licked Cas’ face. "Okay, I okay, I hear you. That kibble is gross."

Colt rested his snout on Cas' shoulder, and Cas found himself smiling more than he had in months. "Thank you, Colt."

…

The next morning, Cas woke up on the couch, with a dog's snout in his face.

"Ugh. Okay, I found the downside to dog ownership." He gently pushed on Colt's right shoulder. "Time to get up."

Colt cracked an eye open and huffed before settling in and pinning Cas on the couch.

"Colt, come on. I need coffee, and you probably need to go outside." Cas carefully pushed Colt up before lifting him and setting him down on the floor. "Sorry, pup. You might be a German Shepherd, but I'm still a human, and I can lift you." He instinctively scratched behind Colt's ears before standing up and crossing to the back door. "I'm going to be feeling that, I'm telling you." Cas opened the door and waited patiently as Colt walked over. "I'll be right here. There are no big bad monsters out there to eat you."

Colt snorted as he wandered outside.

Cas hadn't been kidding when he said he had a fenced-in backyard. A six-foot privacy fence ran along the perimeter of the yard and spread throughout were gardens of various shapes and sizes. "Just don't eat anything, Colt. I don't know what you can or can't have. I'll be right back." Cas reentered the house and quickly took care of his morning routine before heading to the backdoor, finding Colt already waiting for him.

"You're already done?" Cas looked out over the yard as Colt hobbled back into the house. "Damn, I need to remember to have your owner help me train any dog I may get. You're spoiling me for any future pets."

Colt wagged his tail and kept heading towards the kitchen.

"I haven't had a chance to figure out what you can and can't have yet." Cas pulled out his phone and quickly pulled up a list. "Eggs. Eggs are a breakfast food. It's morning. Breakfast time!"

Colt looked to do a little dance, and Cas couldn't help but smile. It was going to be hard to give this guy back up to his owner.

…

Over the week, Cas fell into a new routine.

He woke up, usually with Colt lying right next to him. Then he'd let Colt out into the yard while he had his own morning constitutional. Cas would make breakfast for both of them, and then he would settle on the couch and start his work for the day.

After work, Cas would take Colt, and they would spend some time in the yard again. Cas worked on the gardens, and Colt would lounge nearby or try and distract Cas. In the evening, Cas would fix them dinner, and then he'd watch TV while Colt laid next to him on the couch.

And several times through every day, Cas would try and call Dean.

The fact that Dean never answered, never called back, both irritated Cas but made him slightly happy. Colt was a wonderful pet. How could someone just abandon him like that? Colt was never that far away from his side, and Cas found himself growing fonder of his new companion.

As he climbed into bed Thursday night after helping Colt onto it, Cas couldn't help the feeling that Colt was meant to be with him.

…

Friday morning. Cas woke up to a phone call from Zachariah, frantic that he had to come into the office.

Friday evening, when Cas returned home, Colt was gone.

…

The moment the cast fell off, Dean started to shift back into human form. Where he had once needed to look up to Amy, he was now looking down at her. "What the hell, Amy?"

"Dean, I froze, I'm sorry!"

"I've been with him since Monday! You didn't think to send the cavalry or something?" Dean attempted to cross his arms over his chest but yelped at the pain in his right arm instead. "Fuck. Can you please get me bound back up, so I don't do stupid shit?"

Amy rolled her eyes and pushed Dean down onto the bench. "Was he at least good to you?"

"First and foremost. What the fuck were you thinking, sending him home with fucking kibble?" Dean flinched as Amy started rewrapping his arm. "He figured out that I wasn't going to eat it, and then started making me food every time he ate."

"Seriously?"

Dean nodded. "So, how were you able to keep the Jolly Green Giant sane while I was with a wannabe owner?"

"Nuh-uh. You didn't finish answering my question, Dean." Amy finished the first wrap and started for the second. "Was he good to you?" 

"I'm not a dog, Amy. I'm not a pet. I'm a shifter. I switch between forms." He ran his free hand through his hair, frustrated. "He was really fucking nice, okay? Even though I know part of him was doing it because he felt guilty, he didn't do anything out of pity. He didn't force me to do things. Cas gave me free rein of the house."

"Is that why you didn't leave sooner?" Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, no." Dean shook his head. "Cas works from home most days. He was called in this morning, took the opportunity to act more human-like than dog-like." He pointed at Amy. "Don't you even say it."

Amy chuckled, "So you did enjoy your time with him." She finished applying the top layer of the cast and moved to wash her hands. "Also, It may have been Sam's idea."

"What was Sam's idea?" Dean leaned forward in confusion. "Don't tell me he left me to the whims of an unknown entity."

"He wasn't going to hurt you, Dean. He left all of his information." She pointed at the cast. "Follow me, but don't bump that." Amy led Dean to the front and pulled a key out of her pocket. She unlocked a drawer and pulled out Dean's phone and handed it to him. "He was constantly trying to get you home, even if the calls may have slowed down yesterday."

Dean took his phone. "He did?" Dean tapped on the screen, waking up his phone. "Shit, you kept this charged." Amy nodded, and Dean continued flipping through his phone. "He even sent texts with pictures of me." Dean frowned. "Alright, so he's a good person."

"And what do you think he's going to do when he gets home, and 'Colt' isn't there?"

"I don't know Ames. He's probably going to hate himself. And he's never going to want to talk to Dean. As Dean is the one who apparently abandoned his dog." Dean pouted. "He was really nice."

"So go thank him for taking care of your dog. Colt came home. You have his address. You wanted to thank him."

"It doesn't work that way." Dean shook his head. "Besides, he's a human. How do you think a human would react to finding out things like shifters, kitsune, and vampires exist? Then actually date one?"

Amy laughed and patted Dean's cheek. "It's not unheard of." She paused. "Wait, you like him that much?"

"I like the idea of him. Okay?" Dean huffed. "I'll be back in a couple of weeks to get this taken off."

"And you'll see me at dinner on Sunday." Amy crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't piss off your brother."

Dean flipped Amy off over his shoulder and headed home.

…

Dean pushed open the door to his apartment, pouting that he had to dish out money for an Uber. He contemplated making something to eat before sitting on his sofa. It wasn't as comfortable as he remembered it, and when Dean laid down on it, he found it damn near unbearable. Standing back up, he headed to his room, knowing that his bed would be a comfortable option. Something, something, memory foam never forgets you. Yet lying down on the bed, Dean could only think one thing. Even his damn mattress forgot him.

He pulled out his phone and swiped through, pulling up his voicemails.

_First New Message_

Hi, My name is Castiel Novak. I'm sorry to inform you that I hit your dog, Dean, on my way into work this morning. I've taken him to the Emergency Vet right off of Main St. Please call me back at 555.555.0401.

~

_Second New Message_

Hi, It's Castiel again. Still at the Vet with Dean. He has a broken leg, and they've put it in a cast. I've already paid his vet bills. But I am heading into work now, if you can give me a call, 555.555.0401. I'm going to go check in on him when I get off work.

~

Third New Message

Hi, Dean. I'm so sorry. Dr. Pond at the Vet cleared things up for me. I brought Colt home with me. I didn't think it right that he should suffer for my negligence. I'll send you a picture to show he's okay. Just call me and let me know when you can come and get him.

~

After several more voicemails, Dean ended the call and opened up his text messages. He flipped through them again, finding multiple pictures of him shifted, as well as several texts varying from extremely polite - similar to Cas' first voicemail - to silly messages where Cas had typed "Colt misses you" with a sleeping picture of Dean.

Fuck, even Dean couldn't deny that he was crushing hard on the gorgeous blue-eyed man. 

He set his phone down next to him on the bed and carefully rolled over onto his side. Suddenly his bed felt vast and empty, and he knew so much of that feeling was because of sharing Cas' bed. He ran his hand down his face and decided to go and visit Cas in the morning.

…

To say he was worried was an understatement. Cas knew - he fucking knew - he shouldn't have gone into the office yesterday. Zachariah just wanted to be lazy and not handle his part of the project, so he made a big fucking stink and pulled a damn emergency call to get Cas into the office.

And in that time frame, Colt ran away.

If he were honest, Cas wasn't sure how the dog did it. When he got home, nothing seemed out of place. The doors and windows were all closed, and everything was locked. For fuck's sake, Colt was in a fucking cast. There was no way that he could just disappear.

As soon as he had confirmed that Colt truly was missing, he had called over to the Vet. Cas hoped that he had made his way over there. The person working the desk took his information and said that they'd keep an eye out.

Cas didn't sleep at all.

He took a sip of his coffee at the kitchen island, willing it to wake him up. He was almost finished his second cup when his doorbell rang. He pushed himself to stand, cradled his mug in his hand, and walked to the front door. It took a moment for his brain to catch up with his action, but Cas' jaw dropped when it did.

"Hi, I'm sorry to just show up, but you're Cas, right?" The man in front of him turned his phone around, showing a picture Cas had taken of himself and Colt. Cas nodded and frowned, but before he could say anything, the man - who must be Dean - continued. "Dude, thank you so much for taking care of Colt. I know you probably feel shitty for hitting him, but from the stuff you sent me, it looks like you more than made it up to him."

"You're Dean?" Cas started to stutter, trying to find the words to apologize for losing the man's dog. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I... he was here, and then..."

Dean put his phone in his pocket and reached out with his right hand - Cas noticed a cast on his left arm - and grabbed Cas' shoulder. "Hey, calm down. Colt's fine. He's at my house."

"He's home?" Cas grabbed at his chest. "Where were you?"

Dean laughed and held up his arms. "Apparently, busy getting a matching injury. I was out of town for work. My neighbor, who was supposed to be watching Colt, didn't latch the door properly. The sneaky bastard got out."

"Oh." Cas frowned. "You didn't bring him with you?" Cas looked behind Dean and saw a big beautiful black car, but no tan German Shepherd.

"No, he's going to be staying with my brother for a little bit. He's more than a handful, and I only have the one at the moment." Dean winked at Cas. "Look, uh, besides coming to thank you, I'm also here to pay you back. In your one voicemail–"

"Absolutely not." Cas interrupted. "I hit him. I hurt him. I needed to make things right. And honestly? I'd paid just to have the pleasure of spending time with him again." Cas could have sworn he saw a flash of a frown on Dean's face. "You sure he's okay?"

"Yeah. I mean, as good as a four-legged creature can be with only the use of three legs. But he's loving the attention my brother and his girlfriend are lavishing on him." Dean paused. "Are you sure you won't let me pay you back?"

Cas shook his head. "I can't accept money for taking care of Colt. He did a lot for me this past week, and it was my pleasure to watch him while you got better."

"How about a date?" Dean asked. "Someone who cares about Colt like that, you've got to be a good guy." Dean quickly shoved his hands in his pocket. "Or I can just take you out for dinner as friends if you're not into..."

"You realize you just asked the guy who hit your dog out on a date, right?" Cas stared in disbelief.

"I've heard of worse Meet-Cutes. Hell, I could tell you how my brother met his girlfriend. That's a hell of a story they'll have for the grandkids." Dean smiled, and Cas felt instantly at ease. He gave off a comforting, familiar vibe. "So, if you're not against me calling it a date?"

"Fine. But I don't promise a second one."

Dean laughed. "I'll do what I can to earn it." Dean raised his hand in a wave. "Text me your schedule? I'll work around yours, and find us a place to go."

...

A few days later, Cas found himself at the Roadhouse. He had lived in town for nearly ten years and had never heard of it, never even seen it. He made his way inside and was instantly intercepted by Dean.

"Hey, Cas." Dean wrapped his arm around Cas' shoulder. "Wasn't sure you were going to come."

"You asked me here." Cas tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Why wouldn't I be here?"

Dean shrugged. "You seemed reluctant to take my offer of repayment. And when I asked for a date, you were skeptical."

"To be fair, I did just hit your dog." A laugh from behind the bar caught Cas' attention, and he looked around Dean.

"Ignore her," Dean yelled over his shoulder. "That's Jo. She's like my little sister. Actually, most of the staff and regulars here are pretty much my pack."

Cas nodded. "So, you're feeding me to the wolves on the first date?"

"Sort of?" Dean smiled a toothy grin as he led Cas to a booth. "I hope you like burgers. They're hands down, the best thing on the menu."

Throughout the meal, Dean was indeed doing everything he could to earn a second date. Cas found himself enchanted by the man sitting across from, and can't believe that he had almost told Dean no. Their conversation varied from things they had in common, to about their families, and as the night moved on, flirtier.

Cas could count the number of times on one hand in which someone stoked any kind of fire inside of him, and right now, Dean was taking the number one spot.

After Jo had taken their bill for the evening, Cas decided to take a risk. "Want to continue this at your place, or mine?"

Dean hung his head and smiled. "Normally, I would say yes in a heartbeat." Cas felt his heart drop, and Dean reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "I'm serious. I just didn't think you'd be up for that, and I have an early morning." He shoved his thumb over his shoulder. "You can ask any of them. It's work-related, and I'm going to be up at the ass crack of dawn." Dean stood up, and Cas let Dean pull him to his feet. "Can I have that second date instead?"

Cas pouted but nodded, and Dean leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Dean."

"Back at ya, Cas. Text me your schedule again? It doesn't have to be an evening date either, if you want to do something this weekend." Dean hooked his arm in Cas' and escorted him to his car, leaving with a sweeter kiss goodnight.

…

For their second date, Cas was surprised with a trip to the Farmers' Marker over in the next town. He had barely mentioned it during their first date, and Dean had gone and made it happen. They spent the morning and early afternoon together, and when Cas asked Dean to come over, Dean yet again, politely turned him down.

Confused, and maybe a tiny bit frustrated, Cas asked if he could arrange the third date. Dean nodded, and Cas asked him for his schedule because he wanted to make damn sure that Dean had no reason not to stay the night.

It had taken two weeks, but for their third date, Cas made sure to invite Dean back to his place. He planned for the whole date to take place there. He had made dinner and dessert, figured out how to get Netflix on his TV, and maybe made sure that he had some lube and a few condoms in his nightstand drawer.

The doorbell rang, just as it had several weeks ago, and just like before, Cas' brain needed a moment to catch up when he saw Dean standing in his doorway.

Dean was already a beautiful man. Bright green eyes, neatly trimmed brown hair, pale skin kissed with thousands of freckles. But he had shown up, in dark jeans, a black teeshirt, and a deep maroon shirt layered on top, effectively popping both Dean's freckles and his eyes.

Once he finally found the words to speak, Cas took a step back and let Dean in. "Hello, Dean."

"Hiya, Cas." Dean pressed a kiss to Cas' cheek and walked in, making his way back towards the kitchen. "It smells delicious in here."

Cas followed closely behind, his eyes locked on Dean's ass. 

"Cas." Dean stopped, causing Cas to run into him. He turned around and smiled at Cas, resting his hands on Cas' waist. "Do I need to tell you my eyes are up here?"

"No. But I will say I'm wondering why I made dessert when it came over wrapped up all nicely." Cas felt want pool up in his belly, and for a split second, he contemplated grabbing Dean by the hand and dragging him to the bedroom.

Dean stepped closer to Cas, gripping his hips tighter as he laughed low and throaty. "I thought you shouldn't have dessert before dinner?"

Any witty comeback that was on Cas' tongue quickly disappeared by Dean's mouth pressing against Cas'. Cas ran his tongue along Dean's lips, pleading for entrance, and Dean swallowed his moan upon its admittance. Cas pushed Dean backward, pinning him against the counter as he curiously explored Dean's body.

Cas slid his hands down Dean's body, itching to get them under Dean's shirt when the timer to oven went off. Cas sighed, uttering a curse under his breath as he pulled away from Dean. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's a taste of what's to come." Dean smiled his toothy grin, and Cas felt himself melt. He reluctantly pulled away from Dean, and opened the oven, pulling the roast out. Before closing it back up, Cas slid in the pie he had prepared. He looked back at Dean, who had noticed the dessert. "So, double dessert tonight?"

"The first one being the pie?" Cas turned back to Dean.

Dean rocked his head from shoulder to shoulder, a coy smile broadening on his lips before he pulled Cas back to him. "Or we can have dessert now, dinner, pie, then a second helping of dessert."

"I can get behind this plan.” Cas set the timer for the pie before dragging Dean back to his bedroom.

...

A few days later, Dean paced the Roadhouse, rolling his eyes at Jo and Sam's teasing.

"Would you two leave him alone?" Amy took a seat next to Sam and rested her head against his arm. "He's just nervous."

"I am not." Dean glared at her before shoving his hands in his pockets. "I mean, okay, I am. But it's the fourth date. I don't usually get past a second one."

"So, what's the problem, Deano?" Jo crossed her arms over her chest. "You got one that wants to stick around."

"He's human, and he doesn't know I'm not," Dean replied, and Sam and Jo started to laugh again. Dean pouted and pointed at Amy. "This is your fault."

"My fault?" Amy held up her hands and shook her head. "One, I just thought you wanted to get laid. Two, I said I know of human/cryptid relationships. Three, Do you actually see this going somewhere?"

Dean blushed and nodded, looking at his feet. Before he could speak further, the front entry bell rang, and he turned to see Cas walking in. His heart stopped, just like it did every time he was with Cas, and he crossed the room to pull Cas into a hug.

"Hello, Dean." Cas returned the hug, and Dean melted into the embrace. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just too many comments from the peanut gallery." Dean pointed over his shoulder.

Cas stood up straight and cocked his head to the side. "Dr. Pond? You know Dean?"

"Yeah, how do you know me again?" Dean squinted at her.

"I'm Colt's veterinarian, remember? I'm also Dean's future sister-in-law." Amy smirked.

"You are?" Sam threw his hands up to block Amy's playful punch. "Hi, I'm Dean's brother."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sam." Cas nodded at Sam. He wrapped his arm around Dean's waist and pulled him close. "Let's grab a booth. There’s something I want to talk to you about."

Dean nodded slowly and allowed Cas to guide him over to a table. "How was your day, Cas?" He asked as he took his seat.

"It was good. I hope it's about to get better, though." Cas reached across the table and took Dean's hands in his. "I've been thinking about this, and you know, maybe it's a little soon to declare titles, but I thought maybe we could start using titles. I'd really like to call you my boyfriend."

"Really?" Dean smiled despite his heart sinking. "I would absolutely love that."

"Then how about we get our food to go, and we head back to my place, or yours."

"Oh, hell yes!" Dean pulled Cas along to the bar with him as they placed their orders, and, within twenty minutes, Dean had them on the road to his place. After he pulled his Impala into her spot, Dean climbed out and walked over to the passenger side to let Cas out. "Home sweet home." He took Cas by the hand and lead him up the stairs to his apartment and let them in.

The moment they were inside, Cas closed the door and pushed Dean back against it, pinning him with a heated kiss. "I have wanted to do that all day." Cas pulled back and looked around. "So, where's the kitchen, and where's Colt?"

"Colt?" Dean mentally kicked himself as he realized what he had just done. In a desperate attempt to save the situation, Dean held up his arm. "Still broken. Sam and Amy have him."

"Dean, you sent me a picture of him this morning. He was curled up in that chair, I'm certain of it." Cas took a moment and looked around before figuring out the direction of the kitchen. He made his way towards it, and Dean followed behind slowly. "Dean?" Cas stood in the middle of the kitchen after dropping off their food on the counter. "It doesn't even look like a dog lives here. There's no bowls, no food, hell, there's not even any dog fur, and I know Colt sheds."

Dean blushed brightly and mumbled under his breath, "Not always."

"So, where is he?" Cas walked up to Dean, and Dean took an unconscious step back. "Dean?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You're seriously not going to tell me he's never existed, are you?" Cas crossed his arms over his chest. "I know he's real. My car knows he's real. My bank account knows he's real. Fuck I fell asleep with your dog in my bed several times."

"I know, Cas." Dean sighed and held up his left arm.

"How? I never told you..." Cas raised his eyebrow and stared at the cast. Dean swallowed harshly as Cas observed it. It was larger and a different shape than the one Dean had worn as Colt, but it was in the same location and was the same color. "You told me you were in an accident while on a job."

"I was on a job. In my other form." Dean bit his bottom lip. "I was on a courier run when I bolted across the street. I thought I had timed it, and that you would stop since the light was changing to red, but you were distracted and didn't stop until, well... Yeah."

Cas scoffed and stared at Dean. "You honestly think that I believe you can turn into a dog?" Dean fought to not wither under Cas' glare. "Dean, do you just not want to be in a relationship with me? Are you trying to scare me off?"

"Cas, I definitely want to be in a relationship with you." Dean took a step closer and reached out for Cas. Cas pulled back, but Dean was able to grab his shoulders. "I get it, I know it seems unbelievable, but look at me Cas." Cas looked away, and Dean repositioned Cas to look at him. "My first night with you, you pulled me up on the sofa with you. I laid next to you and rested my head on your lap. While you were petting me, you said you'd spoil me and called me a good boy." Cas swallowed and looked up. "Then you told me you were sorry that you hit me, but were happy that you did. You always wanted a dog, and then there I was.

"The next morning, I woke up on top of you. I don't know how we got in that position, but despite the broken leg? That was one of the best times I have ever slept, second only to sleeping with you in my human form." Cas met Dean's eyes, and Dean smiled. "There you are."

"You're telling me that you can change from human to a dog. Do you know how hard that is to believe?" Cas let his shoulders drop. "What are you going to tell me next? That you can also change into an octopus?"

Dean laughed despite himself. "No, Cas. Just the two forms."

"Sam? Is he...?"

"Yeah, Sam and I are both shifters. Not to be confused with a werewolf. They rarely come down from the mountains." Dean combed his fingers through Cas' hair, grateful that he wasn't running. "There are a lot of creatures out there, Cas." Dean paused. "I kinda dropped hints early on, to see if you would catch on. I was afraid to tell you and lose you."

"Hints?" Cas squinted, before going wide-eyed in realization. "At the Roadhouse. You said the employees and some of the regulars were your pack. You already confirmed Sam... Jo and Amy?"

"Jo, yes. Amy, by proxy. She's a kitsune." Dean offered a small smile. "Yes, Vampires, Sirens, Harpies... You name it; it’s probably real."

Cas' jaw dropped. "So all the things that go bump in the night?

"All real." Dean held up a finger. "Except for dragons, I think. I've never met a dragon." Cas laughed, and Dean felt his confidence rebuilding. "Not to sour that laughter, but you're taking this surprisingly well."

"I mean, despite it going against everything I've ever been taught, it makes sense." Cas took a step back. "I mean, you sat there and described the first night accurately. You mentioned things that no one would have known except me and Colt. Well, I guess _you_ and me." Cas dragged his hand down his face. "Amy was in on this the entire time?"

"It's actually all her fault. She couldn't think of a reason to keep me at the Vet when you offered to take care of me. And then I realized during my time with you; I like you. A lot." Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "Amy pulled that out of me, and when she said to go meet you, see if there was something there, I listened to your voicemails, read your text messages. I knew I had to. I know it's only been a month, but I do like you."

Cas nodded curtly and chewed on his bottom lip. Dean braced himself for rejection when Cas spoke up. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Yes. You can ask Sam and Jo and Amy. We were literally talking about that, right before you walked in. You had just... You had surprised me, made my night by asking to be boyfriends..." Dean hung his head. "I was so excited to come home with you, that I didn't think."

"No, you didn't." Cas frowned. "And while I'd rather have not found out this way, I also get why it's not something you share on the first or second date." Cas looked down at the ground. "You're surrounded by other…?"

"Creatures or Cryptids. Monster is something you save for a mother-in-law." Cas chuckled, and Dean took that as a sign to continue. "I do have human friends. I work with humans. Some know what I am, and some don't. But. If you're afraid you won't be accepted, I can promise you that's not the case."

"Alright, then." Cas took another step back and looked up. "Hello, Dean." Cas held out his hand. "I'm glad to meet you finally. I'm an editor for a major publishing house, I like gardening, and I like hip-hop music."

"Okay..." Dean raised an eyebrow and took Cas' hand. "Hiya Cas. I'm Dean. Thank you for taking care of me while I was stuck in my dog form. I'm a messenger, bacon cheeseburgers are my weakness, and I love listening to Led Zeppelin on long road trips in my Impala."

Cas nodded. "Any other secrets?"

"No more secrets, Cas."

"Then, I look forward to getting to know you better, Dean." Cas let go of Dean hand and looked around the kitchen. As Dean tried to figure out what Cas was up to, Cas reached out, grabbed Dean's waist, and pulled him close. "How about we do that now?"

Dean wrapped his arms around Cas' shoulders and stole a quick kiss. "Sounds like a good start to me."

**Author's Note:**

> Are you into Destiel? Do you use Discord? Are you over the age of 18? Looking for a cool group of people to hang out with? Come join the writers, artists, and other amazing Destiel fans on the [Profound Bond Discord Server](https://discord.gg/profoundbond).


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